Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronics, and more particularly, to radio frequency (RF) power detection.
Description of the Related Technology
Transmitters, transceivers, transmitter/receivers, and the like, can include radio frequency (RF) amplifiers. These various sources of RF will be referred to herein as RF sources. When an RF signal is transmitted from an RF source to an RF load, such as to an antenna, a portion of the RF signal can be reflected from the load. For example, a mismatch in impedance between an output impedance of an RF source and an RF load can cause reflections, and can be measured by a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) meter. In addition, in portable applications, such as mobile phones, the position of the antenna can change, resulting in unpredictable changes to impedance, which in turn results in reflected RF power.
The reflection of RF signals can cause undesirable effects, including a power loss in the transmitted RF signals and possibly even damage to the RF source. In addition, the reflected RF signal may in turn be reflected by the RF source, and re-transmitted with a slight time delay with respect to the original RF signal. Because of problems associated with the reflection of RF signals, RF sources can include a feature for monitoring the reflection of RF signals.